“Me?”

The person in his arms was still leaning against Cen Wei’s chest. At this moment, some passersby were curiously glancing at the men embracing under the shadow of the greenery.

Cen Wei thought of what Ding Xiulin had said, but didn’t take it seriously, letting out a laugh. “I don’t seem to be your ideal type, right?”

On the night when Cen Wei proposed marriage to Chu Lai, Chu Lai had clearly mentioned this.

Cen Wei had a decent amount of confidence in his looks. Over the years, he had received many compliments on his appearance, but this confidence didn’t seem to matter much in front of Chu Lai. The “partner” in their legal relationship clearly wasn’t physically attracted to him.

The truth behind their publicly claimed “love at first sight” was only known to the two of them. Even though Chu Lai had complimented Cen Wei on being handsome during this time, it felt more like a polite exchange, and Cen Wei didn’t read anything more into it. In fact, compared to a handsome guy standing right in front of him, Chu Lai preferred looking at things made of paper. His desk at home was adorned with framed pictures of game characters or handsome men from classic manga.

As for real life, Chu Lai wasn’t fond of looks that exceeded the standard line, nor did he care for people who were too wealthy. Cen Wei checked both of those boxes. He didn’t look particularly refined either, and his voice didn’t come across as gentle.

When Cen Wei spoke, his chest vibrated, causing Chu Lai to close his eyes. All his weight was pressed on Cen Wei, who gave him a sense of security as solid as a mountain. Chu Lai softly responded with a hum. His earlier words weren’t entirely a joke, but given the situation, repeating them now would seem odd. So he answered the question: “You’re right, you’re not.”

But to Chu Lai, Cen Wei was better than the ideal type he had once quantified. Cen Wei was real, right by his side, and every hug overflowed with happiness for Chu Lai.

Even though Chu Lai knew Cen Wei wasn’t his type, he was also aware that some feelings were hard to control.

Because of Cen Wei’s embrace, Chu Lai developed a deeper desire for him.

Whether it was during work, when he unconsciously opened WeChat and glanced at Cen Wei’s profile, or when he found himself looking forward to having dinner with Cen Wei after work.

When they hadn’t lived together, they didn’t have dinner together as often, and the occasional sleepovers only happened due to timing or sudden changes in weather.

But now that they were living together, when they shopped at the supermarket, they checked out their items together. Their feelings had become intertwined, much like a long receipt where Chu Lai’s and Cen Wei’s things got mixed up. Cen Wei didn’t care about splitting the bill, and occasionally, Chu Lai would buy him something from a small shop.

Gradually, the lines became blurrier.

They seeped into each other’s lives, like magnets on the fridge—sometimes a receipt, sometimes a picture of Da Cai, the dog, taken by Chu Lai at home.

Cen Wei would also accidentally appear in the photos, whether it was the side of his face or his back. He had long become a part of Chu Lai’s limited marriage, and he had gotten used to hugging Chu Lai in his sleep and asking in a sleepy voice, “What’s wrong?”

Chu Lai was just about to tell Cen Wei his true feelings when Cen Wei steered the conversation back. “Are you really okay with this?”

“After all, it was because of me that you missed out.”

Ding Xiulin had an impressive resume, clearly having returned to the country for Chu Lai. Cen Wei wasn’t sure if Chu Lai had realized that Ding Xiulin had even chosen his company for his sake.

Even though Chu Lai’s company was a leader in the industry, based on what Cen Wei knew, another rival company would have offered a returning talent like Ding Xiulin a higher salary.

The connection between the two was so coincidental that it made Cen Wei feel a bit jealous. Just as Chu Lai moved in with him, Ding Xiulin happened to move into the apartment below.

Chu Lai hadn’t opened his eyes since he lay in Cen Wei’s arms. He was tired, and this position was especially relaxing. A passing child asked their mother, “Is this big brother sick?”

“It’s fine, I’ve already turned him down.”

Chu Lai took in a deep breath of the heavy scent of Cen Wei’s cologne before slowly pulling away, holding Cen Wei’s hand as they moved into the light. He examined Cen Wei carefully for a moment.

The man always dressed formally for work. Chu Lai had been to Cen Wei’s company and seen him in his working state, which perfectly matched the stereotypical image of a boss. Chu Lai had even compared him to the characters in the manga he’d read and suddenly realized they weren’t too far off from reality.

In real life, however, most business owners couldn’t pull off a suit; they looked no different from insurance salesmen at first glance.

When Cen Wei wore a suit, though, he looked noble, always surrounded by three to five people after a meeting, which made him seem all the more unapproachable.

If you hadn’t heard him ask, “What should we have for lunch?” you might think he was about to discuss a billion-dollar deal.

From the look of Cen Wei’s apartment, it was clear he was used to living meticulously. His attire and manners had become part of his work, and he almost never made mistakes.

But he had just come back from working overtime, and the messiness of his tie seemed to hint at something deeper.

Chu Lai asked, “Did you get into a fight at work?”

The question was so unexpected that it made the usually composed Cen Wei blurt out, “Of course not!”

Chu Lai reached out and tugged at his tie, noticing the tie clip was missing.

Now the two of them were standing under a streetlamp, and the dim light illuminated Chu Lai’s face in great detail, making even the fine strands of his hair visible. Yet Cen Wei still couldn’t quite read the expression in his eyes.

Taking off his glasses, Cen Wei covered Chu Lai’s eyes before he could react.

His vision was obscured, but Chu Lai’s fingers still held onto Cen Wei’s tie.

Compared to Cen Wei, who had a separate drawer just for ties, Chu Lai followed the “one set” rule—he didn’t even wear formal attire to interviews, much less for situations like this. Besides, one of Cen Wei’s ties alone probably cost as much as Chu Lai’s monthly salary; it was an absolute luxury.

Now, the expensive tie was crumpled in Chu Lai’s grip. His eyelashes trembled in Cen Wei’s palm as they both pressed their lips together.

It was Chu Lai who spoke first. “If it wasn’t a fight, then what kind of frustration could have made you yank your tie like this?”

His tone, unlike the cold indifference he had when they first met, now had a livelier quality. “Anyone would think you’ve got someone else in your office.”

Cen Wei still didn’t speak. He was focused on Chu Lai’s lips under the light. Chu Lai’s lips were thin, naturally red, and in contrast with his calm demeanor, they looked like a crimson mark on white paper, like plum blossoms in the snow—enough to make anyone’s heart flutter with just a glance.

Chu Lai added, “If you don’t say anything, it’s going to be really awkward if I keep talking to myself.”

He wiggled Cen Wei’s tie before letting go, trying to remove Cen Wei’s hand from his face. But in the next second, Cen Wei wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him back into his chest, which carried a faint scent of greenery.

“There’s no one else. I was just… feeling a bit frustrated.”

Chu Lai patted his back, going along with the situation. “This is extra service, right? Not the kind of hug I asked for.”

Cen Wei laughed and asked, “Are you going to charge me for it?”

Chu Lai shook his head. “No, weren’t we going to drink? I want something that can actually get me drunk. Can I open a bottle from your wine cabinet?”

His teasing was not subtle at all. “For you, it’d be red wine mixed with Sprite.”

Cen Wei was used to it by now. “Go ahead, pick whatever you like.”

He let go, but Chu Lai’s glasses were still missing. Looking up, Chu Lai said, “Sneaking around isn’t fair. Put them back on the way you took them off.”

After saying that, he couldn’t help but think Cen Wei was acting like a mischievous teenager. He grumbled, “Are you a kid?”

“I’m sorry.”

Even his apology was sincere. He was much slower in putting the glasses back on than he was in taking them off.

Chu Lai had no choice but to keep his head up, staring at Cen Wei’s slightly lowered face.

It was difficult not to make eye contact, even though the lighting was dim. Chu Lai’s unguarded eyes were still beautiful enough to make anyone want to steal another glance.

Unable to stand his slow movements any longer, Chu Lai quickly snatched his glasses and put them on himself. He turned his head away. “Let’s go.”

They casually bought a box of green peppers from the supermarket. The slightly ambiguous atmosphere from earlier had dissipated, and once they got into the elevator, Chu Lai found himself staring idly at the mirror.

Cen Wei was carrying the shopping bag, seemingly just having finished texting someone. His gaze met Chu Lai’s in the mirror, and he suddenly said, “You’re really good-looking.”

Chu Lai tilted his head slightly, looking at the person beside him. “What?”

“Your eyes are beautiful.”

Chu Lai had deliberately ignored the fact that Cen Wei had taken off his glasses downstairs. Yet when Cen Wei had put his glasses back on him earlier, he hadn’t touched his face, but it still made him feel strange. Chu Lai lowered his head. “A lot of people say that.”

Cen Wei suspected that his “a lot of people” included his ex-boyfriend.

Sure enough, the next sentence was: “Shen Quanzhang said the same.”

Cen Wei couldn’t help but ask, “Were you in the same department?”

Chu Lai nodded. “Same school, met him in the library before. He confessed to me in my junior year.”

It was hard to imagine someone like him making the first move.

Cen Wei nodded in understanding, and Chu Lai asked, “What about you?”

The elevator doors opened. When they got home, the dog welcomed them enthusiastically. Standing behind, Cen Wei hadn’t even taken off his coat yet, waiting for Chu Lai to walk the dog.

He replied, “Shen Ke? I met him during a fashion show while I was abroad. His studio supplied materials, so I went once and got to know him.”

In the grand scheme of things, Chu Lai and Cen Wei should have had no reason to cross paths, let alone deal with each other’s exes.

The first time they met, Chu Lai had thought that Cen Wei’s ex was dazzling. Now, recalling Shen Ke’s impression on him, Chu Lai sincerely praised, “He’s really fashionable.”

Cen Wei laughed. “It sounds like you really like him.”

Chu Lai shook his head. “He just left a strong impression.”

While walking the dog, they chatted a bit about their exes. Chu Lai, combining what Xuan Rongqing had told him, felt that it was a major breakthrough that Cen Wei could even talk about it.

His partner had a strong sense of insecurity when it came to relationships. Watching his father die before his eyes during adolescence had shackled his life, making him believe that love was a lie.

Chu Lai nodded earnestly. “It’s not that bad, really. It’s not as serious as you make it out to be. Didn’t you say before that you weren’t good at relationships before you got involved with Shen Ke?”

Cen Wei lowered his head as the dog walked quickly ahead, pulling him along too.

The scene was rather funny. Chu Lai called out Da Cai’s name, reaching out to grab Cen Wei’s coat, but the man grabbed his hand instead.

A fleeting touch.

Chu Lai quickly tucked his hand back into his pocket. “You said Mr. Shen and your childhood friend have already registered their marriage abroad?”

Cen Wei hummed in agreement. “They beat us to it.”

Shen Ke had even sent out a wedding invitation, and the wedding was scheduled for two weeks later. The whole process—cheating, breaking up, getting the certificate, and getting married—was so fast it was dizzying.

For a moment, Chu Lai thought this pair of “dragons and phoenixes” were something else.

If Cen Wei had married Shen Ke, it seemed like there would have been no room for Chu Lai. So he asked, “If that hadn’t happened, would you have married Mr. Shen?”

There were still people out jogging at this hour, and laughter could be heard from the kids playing in the distance.

Cen Wei shook his head firmly. “No, I wouldn’t.”

Chu Lai replied with an “oh” and asked, “Because he had feelings for you?”

Cen Wei nodded, and Chu Lai couldn’t help but ask, “Then why did you agree to give it a try?”

Cen Wei thought for a moment before answering, “He was very passionate.”

Chu Lai could relate to that. “That’s the same reason I accepted Shen Quanzhang.”

Before breaking up with Cen Wei, Shen Ke had already announced his new partner. Now, he was publicly announcing the wedding on social media, and most of the comments were filled with blessings.

Despite Shen Ke once complaining on Instagram that he had gotten nothing out of their relationship and questioning his ex’s worthlessness, Cen Wei still sent his sincere congratulations, saying that he wouldn’t attend the wedding.

At this point, he asked Chu Lai, “What about you?”

“What?”

“Your ex. He cheated on you, right? What happened after that?”

Chu Lai shook his head. “We weren’t like you two. At least before you and Mr. Shen started dating, you were upfront about the difficulty of having an intimate relationship.”

“I’m different.”

Lowering his head, Chu Lai’s shadow and Cen Wei’s stretched out long beneath the dim streetlights. “At that time, I thought that since someone liked me, I should be with him and have a stable future.”

His voice was light, and there wasn’t any obvious emotion in it. The two of them walked side by side, and the dog, now tired, slowed down its pace.

The neighborhood fountain was still running, and some couples were sitting nearby, having dates.

Their hands occasionally brushed against each other as they walked. Unable to stand the small, teasing touches, Cen Wei simply took hold of Chu Lai’s hand and said, “That’s his poor taste.”

“Maybe I’m just a weirdo, not very into that sort of thing.”

Cen Wei asked, “Have you ever thought about being with someone else?”

He added, “When you had arguments.”

Liu Yuan had asked the same question, but Chu Lai had never been too interested in that area and didn’t think such behavior was particularly intimate.

After all, many people nowadays engage in casual relationships without emotions involved. To Chu Lai, such acts without an emotional foundation were no better than doing it alone.

He shook his head again. “Maybe I just prefer hugs.”

Even though Cen Wei hadn’t been in such relationships, he had still seen enough films to know how things worked.

After hesitating for a moment, he asked, “But aren’t there hugs in those situations too?”

Chu Lai didn’t pull his hand away. The two of them walked leisurely, fingers intertwined, looking more like a couple than the actual couples passing by.

The young man, looking down, said, “Maybe it’s because he didn’t love me anymore.”

It was then that Cen Wei realized that Chu Lai wasn’t as unbreakable as he seemed.

His calm demeanor was nothing more than wallpaper—smooth at first glance, but up close, you could see the flaws caused by poor installation. He wasn’t as indifferent as he pretended to be.

Just like that night when they drank the soju called “Twists and Turns.”

Perhaps it was Chu Lai’s anger bubbling beneath the surface during their calm breakup, or his excessive consumption of grilled green peppers, or his extreme decision to let a stranger stay over.

But Chu Lai’s personality was so deceptive that it made people forget that even boiling water had once been scalding.

After saying all this, Chu Lai felt as if he had been drinking, even though he hadn’t. He pulled his hand away from Cen Wei, grabbed the dog leash, and walked ahead.

Cen Wei quickly caught up and grabbed Chu Lai’s hand again, saying, “You just met the wrong person. It’s okay.”

Lowering his head, Chu Lai’s neck had turned slightly red, the blush creeping up to his ears, making Cen Wei’s mouth feel dry.

He didn’t notice Cen Wei’s averted gaze and only said, “I just regret wasting all that time.”

His tone carried a hint of childishness, which made Cen Wei realize that Chu Lai was indeed a few years younger than him.

“There’s nothing to waste. Time is the fairest thing. Besides not finding your ideal type, haven’t you been steadily achieving everything else?”

When they sat down at the dining table to pour drinks, Chu Lai opened the Sprite and said, “I’m still far from it. I still need to buy a house.”

Cen Wei thought of their prenuptial agreement and said, “Don’t you already have a house in your name?”

Chu Lai nodded. “Yeah, but I don’t want to touch it or sell it, so it just sits there.”

He didn’t explain why, but Cen Wei had an inkling that it probably had something to do with the father Chu Lai rarely mentioned.

At that moment, looking at the mixed red wine and soda, Cen Wei picked up his glass and clinked it with Chu Lai’s. “Then here’s to you finding your ideal type soon.”

Even as he said those words, Cen Wei knew very well that deep down, he didn’t want Chu Lai to find anyone.

Chu Lai propped his head on his hand, the grilled green peppers still steaming. They hadn’t even started eating yet.

Cen Wei said, “We still need to go take photos tomorrow. The appointment is at…”

Chu Lai stared at him for a while, and under the pressure, Cen Wei continued listing the schedule. But then he heard the person across from him say, word by word, “Mr. Cen, why did you hold my hand today?”

The wine spilled a bit from the glass, and for a moment, the surroundings fell silent.

After thinking for a long time, Cen Wei decided to be honest. “I couldn’t help it.”

Chu Lai responded with an “oh” and asked, “Can you do it again?”

Startled, Cen Wei asked, “Now?”

Chu Lai nodded. He reached out his hand, motioning for Cen Wei to do the same. Then, their fingers intertwined.

Most of the good wine in Cen Wei’s cabinet was just for show. He never drank, and there weren’t many friends who came over. Most of it had been given to Jiang Liyong.

Chu Lai could handle his alcohol well, but when his mood was low, his face would easily flush, and he’d get dizzy. Now, in a daze, he watched as their fingers interlocked, separated, and came together again, repeating the cycle.

Was it fun?

The sensation was driving Cen Wei crazy. He thought to himself that holding hands was worse than hugging.

He said nothing, and there was only a small amount of red wine left in his glass. The man across from him had unbuttoned his shirt down to his chest, no longer looking as prim as before.

As Chu Lai played with their intertwined fingers, he noticed how large Cen Wei’s hands were, able to wrap around his own. Despite his imposing appearance, in moments like this, Cen Wei was completely obedient to Chu Lai, as if whatever Chu Lai did, he would nod in agreement.

Alcohol could drown out sorrows, but it could also stir up desires. Closing his eyes, Chu Lai muttered, “I’m sorry.”

Cen Wei didn’t quite understand and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Chu Lai hesitated. “I…”

He found it difficult to continue, while Cen Wei thought he was just being clingy. But instead, Chu Lai let go of his hand and, with a momentary awkwardness, blurted out, “I suddenly really want to kiss someone.”

Before Cen Wei could react, Chu Lai added, “If you don’t mind, I was thinking of going to the bar with Liu Yuan later.”

“The one you’ve been to before.”

To find someone at the bar to kiss?

Cen Wei thought back to the second time he had met Chu Lai, when it was Jiang Liyong who first noticed him. Chu Lai hadn’t been wearing glasses and had even worn small earrings.

Even the most delicate face could have moments of striking contrast, and Chu Lai’s gaze could easily stir up a desire for conquest.

Leaning forward, Cen Wei looked seriously into Chu Lai’s hazy eyes, as if confirming whether he was drunk. “Can’t you choose me?”

Chu Lai blinked. He wasn’t drunk, just a bit dizzy. The desire to kiss came from hand-holding and alcohol.

He could still read the room, though, so his voice softened as he said, “I was hoping to find someone with experience. Since you didn’t kiss Mr. Shen Ke in the three months you were together, I assume…”

The rest was left unsaid.

For the first time in his life, a competitive fire burned in Cen Wei’s chest, but what Chu Lai said was true.

Annoyed, Cen Wei lowered his head. In the next second, his chin was lifted by a plastic straw from the soda bottle. Chu Lai seemed to be thinking of how to comfort the “pure and innocent” husband of his.

But unfortunately, this “pure and innocent” fake husband wasn’t always compliant with everything Chu Lai said.

The straw in Chu Lai’s hand was tossed aside as someone, unable to bear it any longer, cupped Chu Lai’s face and kissed him.